High-Level Expression of Active Human Cyclooxygenase-2 in Insect Cells

Active human cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) was expressed at high levels in insect cells using a recombinant baculovirus. The specific activity of Cox-2 in the microsomes of infected cells was 0.51 μmol O2/min/mg and was comparable to that obtained for partially purified Cox-2 from ovine placenta (0.55 μmol O2/min/mg). The Cox-2 enzyme expressed in insect cells was glycosylated to varying extents and most of the cyclooxygenase activity was in the high-speed microsomal pellet. The insect-cell-expressed enzyme also showed characteristic 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid production after aspirin treatment and had typical inhibition profiles with a number of known nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs.